Real Madrid have been drawn against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League play-off round, setting up a swift rematch after their dramatic league-phase encounter.
Gatekeepers News reports that Benfica beat Madrid 4–2 on Wednesday, with a 98th-minute goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin sealing the Portuguese side’s qualification and knocking Marseille out of the competition. The defeat also pushed Madrid out of the top eight in the 36-team league standings, forcing them into the play-offs.
Benfica claimed the final play-off spot by finishing 24th after a remarkable recovery — winning three of their last four matches following four straight defeats at the start of the campaign.
Mourinho, 63, returned to Benfica for a second spell in September. He previously managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey, and reaching the Champions League semi-finals in all three seasons.
The two clubs last met in a European final in 1962, when Benfica beat Real 5–3 to win their second and most recent European Cup.
PSG to face Monaco
Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will take on domestic rivals Monaco. PSG finished 11th in the league phase after winning just one of their last five matches, while Monaco, despite poor league form, secured a play-off spot with a 0–0 draw against Juventus.
PSG will travel to Monaco for the first leg, wary of their rivals after losing to them in Ligue 1 in November. However, Monaco are currently 10th in the league and 21 points behind PSG.
PSG also eliminated French opposition at this stage last season, thrashing Brest 10–0 on aggregate before going on to win the trophy.
Newcastle travel to Azerbaijan
Newcastle United will face Qarabag of Azerbaijan, with the first leg in Baku. Should they progress, Newcastle or PSG will meet either Barcelona or Chelsea in the last 16.
Real Madrid, if they beat Benfica, will face either Manchester City or Sporting, which could mean another trip to Lisbon.
Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt will play last season’s runners-up Inter Milan, while Juventus face Galatasaray. Atletico Madrid will take on Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund face Atalanta, and Bayer Leverkusen will meet Olympiacos.
The two-legged play-offs will be played in February, with winners advancing to the last 16 in March.
Already through are the top eight teams from the league phase: Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Sporting.
This season’s Champions League final will be played in Budapest on May 30.
